Notomicrus sharpi J. Balfour-Browne, 1939

Scheers, Kevin & Thomaes, Arno, 2014, A review of the Burrowing Water Beetles of Belize with a key to the species (Coleoptera: Noteridae), Belgian Journal of Entomology 51, pp. 1-17 : 1-17

Notomicrus sharpi J. Balfour-Browne, 1939

( Figs 1I , 2H , 3I )

= Notomicrus politus Sharp, 1882

TYPE LOCALITY. Guatemala, Retalhuleu district, Paraiso .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. BELIZE DISTRICT: La Democracia, ditch next to road, 17°21'38,7"N, 88°32'42,1"W, 09. V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (10ex.) TOLEDO: BFree, Agami lagoon, 16°33'27,7"N, 88°42'14,8"W, 17.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1ex.) ; Punta Gorda , fishpond, 16°06'24,6"N, 88°48'25,5"W, 23.IV.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1ex.) ; Punta Gorda , lights basketball field, 16°6'15,1"N, 88°48'14"W, 03. V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (12ex.) ; San Miguel , puddle in intermittent stream, 16°16'52,5"N, 88°53'3,1"W, 02. V.2015, Leg. K. Scheers & A. Thomaes (1ex.) .

Published records from Belize: This species is newly recorded from Belize.

DIAGNOSIS. TL = 1.2–1.4 mm; dorsal color yellowish brown, elytra in some specimens slightly darker than head and pronotum ( Fig. 1I ); punctation on elytra strongly reduced and, with exception of the discal striae punctures present only behind the middle; male genitalia distinctive ( Fig. 2H ). This species is externally very similar to Notomicrus gracilipes Sharp, 1882 but differs in size and punctation. It is however easily distinguished from it by the different shape of the aedeagus of the male genitalia.

DISTRIBUTION. (NA) US (Florida); (NT) Bahamas, Belize (first records), Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands.

HABITAT. This species was found with single specimens in different types of habitat. It was however not uncommon in a small exposed ditch free of any vegetation. In Punta Gorda it was found in numbers attracted by lights of a basketball field.

Figures

Fig. 1. Dorsal view of the species of Noteridae in Belize. A, Hydrocanthus debilis Sharp, 1882; B, Hydrocanthus marmoratus Sharp, 1882; C, Mesonoterus laevicollis Sharp, 1882; D, Suphisellus insularis (Sharp, 1882); E, Suphisellus lineatus (Horn, 1871); F, Suphisellus neglectus Young, 1979; G, Suphisellus nigrinus (Aubé, 1838); H, Suphisellus varians (Sharp, 1882); I, Notomicrus sharpi J. Balfour-Browne, 1939.

Fig. 2. Left lateral view of the aedeagus. A, Hydrocanthus debilis Sharp, 1882; B, Hydrocanthus marmoratus Sharp, 1882; C, Suphisellus insularis (Sharp, 1882); D, Suphisellus lineatus (Horn, 1871); E, Suphisellus neglectus Young, 1979; F, Suphisellus nigrinus (Aubé, 1838); G, Suphisellus varians (Sharp, 1882); H, Notomicrus sharpi J. Balfour-Browne, 1939.

Fig. 3. Distribution maps of the species of Noteridae in Belize. A, Hydrocanthus debilis Sharp, 1882; B, Hydrocanthus marmoratus Sharp, 1882; C, Mesonoterus laevicollis Sharp, 1882; D, Suphisellus insularis (Sharp, 1882); E, Suphisellus lineatus (Horn, 1871); F, Suphisellus neglectus Young, 1979; G, Suphisellus nigrinus (Aubé, 1838); H, Suphisellus varians (Sharp, 1882); I, Notomicrus sharpi J. Balfour-Browne, 1939 (white dots indicate sampled sites and black dots indicate sites where the species is recorded, elevation map as background in which dark shading increases with height).